Big Hole Watershed Committee

THE AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN HABITAT ENHANCEMENT IN THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT BLM DISTRICT FIELD OFFICE IN DILLON, MONTANA TO MAINTAIN AND RESTORE AQUATIC HABITAT, RIPARIAN HABITAT, AND WATER QUALITY, ACHIEVING RIPARIAN OBJECTIVES IDENTIFIED IN THE EAST PIONEERS WATERSHED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOI BLM MT B050 2020 005 EA AND THE AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN HABITAT ENHANCEMENT DOI BLM MT B050 2018 0013 EA THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE BLM WITH CRITICAL CAPACITY SUPPORT TO MAKE STREAM AND MESIC RESTORATION AND CONIFER ENCROACHMENT REMOVAL PROJECTS SHOVEL READY, AS WELL AS IMPLEMENT ON THE GROUND WORK ON BLM MANAGED LANDS AND PRIVATE LANDS WHILE THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON THE EASTERN PIONEERS FOOTHILLS, COORDINATION AND OUT YEAR PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT IS ALSO ANTICIPATED FOR THE NEXT BLM FOCUS AREAS AS IDENTIFIED BY BLM PERSONNEL FOR EXAMPLE, ROCHESTER CREEK EA ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED GOAL 1 RESTORE ENHANCE STREAM FUNCTION ON BLM AND PRIVATELY MANAGED LANDS IN THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED OBJECTIVE 1 PROVIDE CAPACITY SUPPORT TO BLM FOR PLANNING, COORDINATION, LOGISTICS, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LOW TECH, PROCESSED BASED RESTORATION STRUCTURES IN FIRST AND SECOND ORDER STREAMS IDENTIFIED AND ANALYZED IN THE AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN HABITAT ENHANCEMENT DOI BLM MT B050 2018 0013 EA GOAL 2 RESTORE ENHANCE MESIC AND WETLAND FUNCTION ON BLM AND PRIVATELY MANAGED LANDS IN THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED OBJECTIVE 2 PROVIDE CAPACITY SUPPORT TO BLM FOR PLANNING, COORDINATION, LOGISTICS, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER SPREADING SLOWING STRUCTURES AND HEADCUT STABILIZATION STRUCTURES IN INTERMITTENT AND EPHEMERAL STREAMS IMPACTED GULLY EROSION ON BLM AND PRIVATELY MANAGED LANDS GOAL 3 RESTORE MAINTAIN HISTORIC DENSITY, STRUCTURE, AND SPECIES COMPOSITION OF SAGEBRUSH, SHRUBLAND, GRASSLAND, AND RIPARIAN HABITATS ON BLM AND PRIVATELY MANAGED LANDS IN THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED OBJECTIVE 3 PROVIDE CAPACITY SUPPORT TO BLM FOR PLANNING, COORDINATION, LOGISTICS, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CONIFER REMOVAL TREATMENTS IN RIPARIAN, ASPEN, AND UPLAND AREAS RIPARIAN AND UPLAND CONIFER REMOVAL TREATMENTS WILL TARGET REACHES UNITS IDENTIFIED IN THE EAST PIONEERS WATERSHED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOI BLM MT B050 2020 005 EA EXPECTED DELIVERABLES 3 MILES OF STREAM CHANNEL ON BLM AND ADJACENT PRIVATE LANDS IN THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED WILL HAVE PROJECTS DEVELOPED AND SHOVEL READY OR COMPLETED 5 ACRES OF MESIC AND WETLAND AREAS ON BLM AND PRIVATE LAND IN THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED WILL HAVE PROJECTS DEVELOPED AND SHOVEL READY OR COMPLETED 20 ACRES OF UPLAND AND RIPARIAN BLM AND PRIVATE LAND WILL HAVE CONIFER ENCROACHMENT PROJECTS DEVELOPED AND SHOVEL READY OR COMPLETED INTENDED BENEFICIARIES BECAUSE THE PROJECT AREA IS LOCATED ON PUBLIC PROPERTY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE MOST OF THE YEAR, ALL RECREATIONISTS AND LEASE HOLDERS WILL BE POSITIVELY AFFECTED BY THE IMPROVEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE PROJECT AREA FURTHERMORE, THIS PROJECT PROVIDES CAPACITY AND SUPPORT FOR BLM S DFO TO FACILITATE THE CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF AQUATIC RESOURCES ON BLM MANAGED LANDS AND IMPLEMENT MANAGEMENT ACTIONS IDENTIFIED IN THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN THE EAST PIONEERS AND ROCHESTER CREEK AREAS SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES ALL PLANNING I E SCOPING, PERMITTING, AND CONTRACTOR CONTRACTING , COORDINATING IMPLEMENTATION OVERSIGHT, AND BLM PARTNER COMMUNICATION AND LOGISTICS TASKS WILL BE PERFORMED BY BHWC STAFF ALL IMPLEMENTATION TASKS WILL BE SUB AWARDED AND WILL BE PERFORMED BY THE DILLON YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED COMMITTEE WILL UPDATE THEIR WATERSHED RESTORATION PLAN CENTERED ON ENHANCING THE HYDROLOGIC RESILIENCE AND IMPROVING WATER QUALITY WITHIN THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED IN WESTERN MONTANA. THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED, WHICH IS IMPACTED BY DROUGHT AND WIDE VARIABILITY IN WATER QUANTITY, IS A STRONGHOLD FOR THE LAST FLUVIAL POPULATION OF ARCTIC GRAYLING IN THE LOWER 48. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, THE COMMITTEE WILL DIGITIZE AND CONSOLIDATE EXISTING WATER DATA, ANALYZE AND MAP THE WATERSHED TO CHARACTERIZE POTENTIAL WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECTS BY TYPE AND ANTICIPATED BENEFITS, AND ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO WRITE A FINAL UPDATED WATERSHED RESTORATION PLAN. THE RESTORATION PLAN WILL PROVIDE A LIST OF PROJECTS TO BE PURSUED THROUGHOUT THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED TO INCREASE NATURAL STORAGE AND PROMOTE WATERSHED RESILIENCY. THE COMMITTEE REPRESENTS RANCHING, SPORTSMEN, CONSERVATION GROUPS, RECREATION INTERESTS, OUTFITTERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND UTILITIES, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND LANDOWNERS.

WORK TO FURTHER DEVELOP AN EXISTING COOPERATIVE, SELF-SUSTAINING WATERSHED GROUP THAT WILL WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO IDENTIFY, EVALUATE, AND RESOLVE WATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY ISSUES WITHIN THE LOWER BIG HOLE WATERSHED IN BEAVERHEAD AND MADISON COUNTY, MONTANA.

THE BIG HOLE WATERSHED COMMITTEE, AN EXISTING WATERSHED GROUP LOCATED IN DIVIDE, MONTANA, WILL DESIGN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT WILL RESTORE THE ABANDONED ELKHORN MINE AND MILL SITE AND MITIGATE DOWNSTREAM CONTAMINATION THE MINE HAS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF BEING A POINT AND NON POINT SOURCE FOR POLLUTION THAT IS AN ONGOING RISK TO THE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM AND DOWNSTREAM PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES THE COMMITTEE IS CURRENTLY COMPOSED OF A 22 MEMBER GOVERNING BOARD THAT REPRESENTS DIVERSE INTERESTS INCLUDING RANCHING, UTILITIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SPORTSMEN, CONSERVATIONISTS, TOURISM, AND OUTFITTERS FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES PARTICIPATE IN AN ADVISORY ROLE THE WATERSHED GROUP WORKS IN THE ENTIRE BIG HOLE WATERSHED AND THIS PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON ELKHORN CREEK, A HEADWATER TRIBUTARY ENTIRELY WITHIN THE NATIONAL FOREST THE GROUP WILL FOCUS ON STAKEHOLDER COORDINATION, CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS, WATER AND SOIL CONTAMINATION CHARACTERIZATION STUDIES, AND PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING DESIGNS FOR WATER RESOURCE RESTORATION THROUGH THE REMOVAL OF CONTAMINATION

LOWER FRENCH CREEK SEDIMENT REDUCTION PROJECT

RAC: SUSTAINING RANGELAND HEALTH